May 20 1974
From The Space Library
James C. Fletcher, NASA Administrator, and Dr. Alexander Hocker, European Space Research Organization Director General, held a Spacelab program review in Paris to assess the proposed ESRO design, appraise an ESRO presentation of contractor evaluation and findings, and discuss follow-on production. The review indicated that size, volume, subsystems, transportability, and operational turnaround met or exceeded design requirements. The design payload weight had been reduced from phase B results. An ESRO team with NASA support would further assess the weight, and the common payload support equipment and instrument pointing system would be studied for nine months. NASA. would give a letter of commitment to buy one flight unit with follow-on production commitment scheduled after critical design review. (NASA Gen Mgmt Rev Rpt, 17 June 74; NASA Spacelab Newsletter 74-5; 3 July 74)
Edwin C. Kilgore had been appointed Deputy Associate Administrator for Center Operations, NASA announced. He had assisted Dr. George M. Low, Deputy Administrator and Acting Associate Administrator for Center Operations, in organizing and managing the new office since its establishment 15 March. Before March, Kilgore had served as Acting Associate Administrator for Aeronautics and Space Technology. (NASA Ann, 20 May 74)
NASA announced a 45-day $500 000 continuation of a 13 Feb. contract with Thiokol Chemical Corp. for the space shuttle solid-fueled rocket motor design study. In addition to original contract requirements, the continuation contract required that Thiokol assist NASA in identifying materials, independent of the specific final motor design, that had long-lead-time supply times. (NASA Release 74-130)
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